Genius

I used the iPhone dictionary a lot while writing. After updating to iOS 7, it was gone. Here's how to download it.
1. Follow steps with black option bar.
2. Tap "Manage".
3. Choose a dictionary and tap the cloud.
I found "Apple Dictionary" to be empty.
Once downloaded, you can tap "define" for definitions and spelling.

Moderator

I used the iPhone dictionary a lot while writing. After updating to iOS 7, it was gone. Here's how to download it.
1. Follow steps with black option bar.
2. Tap "Manage".
3. Choose a dictionary and tap the cloud.
I found "Apple Dictionary" to be empty.
Once downloaded, you can tap "define" for definitions and spelling.
View attachment 31986

I didn't have to download the dictionary in iOS 7 on my iPhone 5s or my rMini iPad. It was pre-installed stock. If I write "Griggh" it says "No definition found," but that's only because it's not a word in the dictionary database.

Genius

I didn't have to download the dictionary in iOS 7 on my iPhone 5s or my rMini iPad. It was pre-installed stock. If I write "Griggh" it says "No definition found," but that's only because it's not a word in the dictionary database.

I used that non word as an example. After I updated, none of the words I tried to define would produce a definition. It went to the page that said "No Definition Found". I had to download a dictionary. I have no idea why.

Contributor

Same here. I had to download the Oxford English Dictionary, I tested it out w/a standard word to see if I already had it installed and define wasn't in my options. It is after the download I just did by following those helpful tips.

Let me clarify... Contact photos are not visible from the normal list view:

Of course, you can tap on a contact to see the contact photo, but that involves two extra taps: one to go into the contact's card, and one to go back out to the list view.

My point was that you can get a list view with contact photos for each and every single contact by making each and every single contact a Favorite. But in so doing, you effectively give up the functionality associated with a contact being a Favorite. For example, if you have "Settings > Do Not Disturb > Allow Calls From" set to "Favorites," then you'll be allowing calls from every single contact.

Put another way, if everyone is set as a Favorite, then everyone is equal, and the distinction of being a Favorite loses its meaning.

The vast majority of normal folks, myself included, will be happy with seeing contact pictures in the list view of only your actual three or four favorites, as opposed to making everyone a favorite. But it would be helpful in special circumstances, like if you have various sets of friends who share the same exact name. If I only knew fifty people, and they were all named "John Dwight Krasinski", then it would probably be a huge timesaver to make them all Favorites so I can easily see the face in list view and call up the correct John Dwight Krasinski. Obviously, this would be pointless in the rare case that they're all clones, because then they would all look exactly alike.

Genius

Of course, you can tap on a contact to see the contact photo, but that involves two extra taps: one to go into the contact's card, and one to go back out to the list view.

My point was that you can get a list view with contact photos for each and every single contact by making each and every single contact a Favorite. But in so doing, you effectively give up the functionality associated with a contact being a Favorite. For example, if you have "Settings > Do Not Disturb > Allow Calls From" set to "Favorites," then you'll be allowing calls from every single contact.

Put another way, if everyone is set as a Favorite, then everyone is equal, and the distinction of being a Favorite loses its meaning.

The vast majority of normal folks, myself included, will be happy with seeing contact pictures in the list view of only your actual three or four favorites, as opposed to making everyone a favorite. But it would be helpful in special circumstances, like if you have various sets of friends who share the same exact name. If I only knew fifty people, and they were all named "John Dwight Krasinski", then it would probably be a huge timesaver to make them all Favorites so I can easily see the face in list view and call up the correct John Dwight Krasinski. Obviously, this would be pointless in the rare case that they're all clones, because then they would all look exactly alike.

I have 21 numbers in my favorites. A few have both a cell and home phone, so they're in twice. I have so many because of "do not disturb". My daughter's home was struck by lightning and burned to the ground during the night. So I want all family to reach me at all times. But I see what you're saying.

Genius

I just realized that in group MMS conversations, you get contact photos by the senders' text bubbles (in my example, it's just the neutral silhouette, as that particular person isn't in my contacts.) Is this new to iOS 7?

I actually wish this were the norm for all text conversations, group or otherwise, à la Messages.app on OS X. Or at least have a toggle switch to enable or disable this, per the user's preference:

Contributor

I have 21 numbers in my favorites. A few have both a cell and home phone, so they're in twice. I have so many because of "do not disturb". My daughter's home was struck by lightning and burned to the ground during the night. So I want all family to reach me at all times. But I see what you're saying.
View attachment 34569

I used a app to create a "Do not disturb" group and allow calls from that group that way I don't have to have a large favorites list. This group consist of family, doctors and kids schools and a few choice people.

Genius

I used a app to create a "Do not disturb" group and allow calls from that group that way I don't have to have a large favorites list. This group consist of family, doctors and kids schools and a few choice people.

The "Do Not Disturb" in settings also stops various alerts, such as from Twitter and Facebook. I used to get woke up every time someone followed me on Twitter. I get alerts from iCafe and several other sites and interests. But I don't want them at 3:00 am.

Genius

The same way you can force-quit more than one app in one shot from the task switching screen, as has already been discussed on a previous post, you can also delete multiple e-mails simultaneously by swiping them to the left using multiple fingers.

I have found that it is easy to get two of them in one shot, but getting three or more in one shot is so difficult as to be impractical. YMMV

Moderator

The same way you can force-quit more than one app in one shot from the task switching screen, as has already been discussed on a previous post, you can also delete multiple e-mails simultaneously by swiping them to the left using multiple fingers.

I have found that it is easy to get two of them in one shot, but getting three or more in one shot is so difficult as to be impractical. YMMV

I really liked the jailbreak tweak that let you select the first email, then long-touch on the last email and that would select those two emails and every email in between. Apple should buy it from the developer and incorporate that.

Contributor

I used a app to create a "Do not disturb" group and allow calls from that group that way I don't have to have a large favorites list. This group consist of family, doctors and kids schools and a few choice people.

Genius

While this certainly doesn't qualify as a "Best" hidden feature in iOS 7, going into Settings > Accessibility > Reduce Motion > and setting it to "On" stops entirely (not just reduces, as the setting promises) the motion of the raindrops and clouds in the stock Weather app...

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... Great feature for those users that suffer from vertigo from watching those raindrops and clouds in the Weather app move ever so slowly ...
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